Time To Go: The Southern Psychedelic Moment 1981-86 (12 Inch LP)

Various

Smoke Notes

Time To Go explores the early history of Flying Nun from 1981–86, a ‘heroic period’ of lo-tech recording, handmade covers and ‘extended play’ 45s.

Rather than being simply a ‘greatest hits’ from this period, the compilation brings together a collection of tracks from key South Island bands that were active during that time. Many of which have never been available in digital format.

Researched and compiled by Bruce Russell (Dead C), Time To Go features songs from the likes of The Clean, Tall Dwarfs, The Chills and Sneaky Feelings, as well bands that may not have been as prolific but have influenced countless musicians both from New Zealand and overseas since.

What really connects this music and sets it apart from much that was happening elsewhere at the time was that it was in a real sense ‘out of time’ – connecting broadly with the psychedelic tradition of the 1960s. Something that cut across bands as diverse as the Gordons, The Clean and The Puddle: bands that saw a chance to wind back the clock and pick up again in 1967, and make it bad.

It is pop music that went beyond this, aspired to make or say something more, something real. 30 years on it still does, and captures a feeling that things had to change. It was – as The Clean sang – ‘time to go’.